SPEAK OUT: Should Residents Receive Check From Surplus Split?

City council in Falls Church was on a proposal that would have split the more than $3 million surplus amongst Falls Church City Public Schools, city government and residents.

Monday, with Vice Mayor Dave Snyder returning to council, the proposal passed 4-3 allowing the surplus to split three ways equally and giving FCCPS the $500,000 they needed to purchase 700 laptops and 500 iPads.

“We will amend our budget tonight to add the additional revenue and the order will go in either Wednesday or Thursday,” said Dr. Toni Jones, FCCPS superintendent.

Jones said the new equipment should arrive by Sept. 28.

Councilman Phil Duncan said the key decider was Snyder. In August, like Monday night, Mayor Nader Baroukh and council members Ira Kaylin and Johannah Barry were not in favor of the three-way split.

Some wondered how the proposal, brainchild of Councilman Dave Tarter, would get money to city residents. Some council members thought the administrative fee to cut individual checks would be too much. The city will receive a third of the surplus to use on projects and FCCPS will receive a third to put toward new technology and other needs. The last third goes to city taxpayers.

Council members Ron Peppe, Duncan, Tarter and Snyder carried the proposal.

“We’re not going to cut individual checks but residents will see a credit on their next tax bill,” Duncan said.

Do you think the city should have given individual checks to its residents or do you think the tax credit works best?